Phonographic recording and reproducing device.



S. W. WYLIE. PHONOGRAPHIG RECORDING AND REPRODUUING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR, 6, 1911.

LUQQ Q Patented June 11,1912.

SAMUEL W. WYLIE, OF JAMESTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA.

PHONOGRAPHIG RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'March 6, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912. Serial No. 812,573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. WYLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Stutsman and .State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Phonographic Recording and Reproducing Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to phonographic devices for recording and reproducing sounds; and as the mechanism and principles of the invention are applicable to both recording and reproducing devices, I will describe it mainly as a reproducing device.

The main object is to provide a device that will record and reproduce sounds with more -"volume, clearness and exactness than the deheld in plane position when the stylus is in contact with the record, so that the diaphragm may vibrate with ease to either side of its plane position, while in ordinary phonographs the contact of the stylus with the record causes the diaphragm to stand in a bulging position, from which it is only partly sprung back by the vibratory efiect of either the sound waves on the record or the sound that should produce such waves on the record; and it is evident that such imperfect vibrations can only produce imperfect results. Third, I provide a very delicate or sensitive joint by which to permit the stylus to follow the middle of the spiral groove of the record, thus avoiding the effect of a tendency of the stylus to climb up the sides of the spiral groove. Fourth, I provide means for the prevention of all lost motion between the stylus, the diaphragm and the record.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 is a partly sectional end elevation of the upper portion of a phonograph with my improvements applied to it. Fig. 2 is a top View of the portion shown in Fig. 1 with the feed screw, feeder arm, record and record mandrel omitted. Fig. 3 is a section near the line aa Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on .shown. p

is fixed a tube 16, whose upper end is de-.

the line bb Fig. 1, with the-recorder arm omitted. Fig. 5 is a section on the line c-c Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a'bottom view of the diaphragm casing and stylus lever and its connection. Fig. 7 is a section on the line cZ-d Fig. 6 with the casing proper omitted;

Referrin to the drawing by reference numerals, 1 esignates the usual metal frame upon which the reproducing mechanism is mounted, 2 is the mandrel inthe usual position with a record 3 on it. Upon a guiding rib 4 rests the cam 5 of a cam-lever 6, which is pivoted at 7 to the front end of the curved reproducer arm 8, whose rear end is fixed on a sleeve 9, which carries an arm 10 adapted to engage in the threads of a feed screw 11 when the lever 6 is swung downward with its notch 12 upon the rib 4, so as to bring the stylus 13 into cont-act with the record. The sleeve 9 slides on a rod '14, whose ends are secured in two posts 15, of which only one is In the top of the reproducer arm 8 signed to receive the small end of the horn of the phonograph, (not shown). In said tube are fixed two diametrieal' bars 17 and 18, the former quite high up and the latter in the lower end of the tube, (as best shown in Fig. 3). In a central cavity in said upper bar, and in acavity in the point of a screw 19 in the lower bar are sensltively j ournaled the pointed ends of light shaft 20, on which is centrally fixed, to rotate freely within the tube 16, the bottom 21 of a shorter tube 22, in whose upper end is a diametrical bar 23, also secured, or at least guided on the shaft. Said tube 22 is provided with a lateral hollow arm or neck 24, which is inserted upward into a gap 25 in the tube 16, and will play laterally in the upper part of the gap sufliciently to permit thestylus lever to cocupy a transverse position to the mandrel that carries the records. The outer or rear end of the neck 24 is provided with a trans-' verse tubular head 26 (see Figs. 2 and l) in which is loosely journaled the end portion 27 of a curved tubular arm 28, whose rear end carries the casing 29, in which the dia phragm 30 is arranged. The arm portion 27 is closed and retained in its place by a cap 31, screw-threaded into the end of the arm and having a rim or flange 32 bearing loosely against the end of the tube 26. The casing 29 is provided with an arm 33, playing in a stirrup 34 on the arm 8 when the machine is in operation, and is supported in said stirrup when the ari'u is raised out of operation by the lever 6.

The diaphragm 30 may be made of any suitable mat rialaud is preferably normally plane, except that it may have circular core rugations. The edges of it may be held between sot't rings which together with the diaphragm are held in place by a metal ring 36, which may be either threaded into the casing or held therein by screws 37,

Integral with the ring 36, or secured thereto by screws 38, is a supporting bar 39, to which is secured by screws -10 a thin spring metal hanger or leat 41, whose lower end is formed with two legs, which straddle the stylus lever 42 and are secured by screws 43 to short side arms ett of said lever. From the center of the diaphragm extends downwardly a light springy metal rod 45, whose lower end is adjustably held in the acent end of the stylus lever by a screw 4:6. The other end of the lever carries the stylus 13, and has atlixed to it one end of a preferably loop-shaped spring 47, of which the upper end 48 is inserted in a short arm 49 on the casing 29 and is there adjustably secured by a screw 50.

The operation of the device has been partly stated in the beginning ot'this specification, but it may be further stated that as long as the stylus is held idle away from the record 3, the spring at? holds the stylus downward and the diaphragm bulged upward by the connection wire ett), and when the arm 8 is lowered so that the stylus gets into proper contact with the record, the weight of the casing 29 and the parts carried by it bends the spring H; which spring has its tension previously regulated by the screw 50, until the diaphragm stands in a plane position, and as the record rotates and the stylus is vibrated up and down by the soundproducing waves or indentures of the rec ord, the diaphragm is thereby easily vibrated more or less above and below its slachcst point or plane position; and as the connections it and til are without pivots or other joints, there is no loss ot motion, but the entire =t the stylus, and also such 1' may he secured bv arranging more or le away from the ma lever lUYVill't l the stylus, wif

phragm.

From the above description it will he understood that the main new elements and features of the invention will produce a very etiicient reproducer, and also that when said parts and features are applied to a recording device, the latter will be of increased eficiency to produce an improved record; and that such record when operating my improved reproducer will give the nearest possible correct reproduction of the original sounds.

lVhat- I claim is 1. In a phonographic recording or reproducing device, the combination with a casing having at one end a lug and at its base a horizontal bar, a diaphragm secured in the casing, a stylus lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the horizontal bar, a rod connecting one end of said lever with the middle of the diaphragm, a stylus inthe other end of the lever, and a spring connecting the stylus end of the lever with the lug on the" 2. In a phonographie recording or repro ducing device, the combination with a casing having at one end a lug and at the base a horizontal bar, a diaphragm secured in the casing, a stylus lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the horizontal bar, a rod'connecting one end of said lever with the middle of the diaphragm, a stylus in the other end of the lever, and a spring connecting the stylus end of the lever with the lug on the casing and acting on the lever to maintain the diaphragm in a substantially plane position when the stylus is engaged with the recording or record surface; and means at the'lug for changing the tension of the spring. 3. The combination with a sound box or casing and a diaphragm secured therein, of a stylus lever having one end connected with the diaphragm and the other or stylus end of the lever provided with a hmvshaped spring having at one end an arm, said casing having at one edge a lug with a hole receiving said arm, and a set-screw holding the arm adj ustably in the hole.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL W. WYLIE.

lVit-nesses:

A. L. KNAUF, J. E. MoGREeoR. 

